Method and apparatus for controlling a damper clutch

DETAILED DESCRIPTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for controlling a damper clutch which overcomes the disadvantages discussed above.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for controlling a damper clutch which prohibits operation of the damper clutch when the vehicle is travelling in an area congested with traffic.
These and other objectives are achieved by providing a method for controlling a damper clutch in a torque converter of a vehicle, comprising (a) sensing operating conditions of said vehicle; (b) determining, based on said sensed operating conditions of said vehicle, whether said vehicle is driving in an area congested with traffic; and (c) prohibiting operation of said damper clutch when said step (b) determines that said vehicle is driving in an area congested with traffic.
These and other objectives are further achieved by providing an apparatus for controlling a damper clutch in a torque converter of a vehicle, comprising sensing means for sensing operating conditions of said vehicle; determining means for determining, based on said sensed operating conditions of said vehicle, whether said vehicle is driving in an area congested with traffic; and control means for prohibiting operation of said damper clutch when said determining means determines that said vehicle is driving in an area congested with traffic.
Other objects, features, and characteristics of the present invention; methods, operation, and functions of the related elements of the structure; combination of parts; and economies of manufacture will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures.